Rangers probe set for next week

07 September 2012 05:18

The Scottish Premier League announced that the independent panel would sit for its first two days.

A statement read: "The Scottish Premier League today announced that the independent commission to inquire into alleged EBT payments and arrangements made by Rangers in relation to players during the period from 2000 until 2011 will sit on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 September."

The statement continued: "The hearing will be chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith and will consider submissions from parties on various procedural matters.

"It will not be a hearing of the merits of the case."

The three-man group, which also features Charles Flint QC and Nicholas Stewart QC, will eventually decide whether Rangers broke SPL rules regarding payments made through their controversial Employee Benefit Trust scheme.

The payments are also the subject of a tax tribunal, which is yet to be decided.

The tax tribunal will have no impact on the current Ibrox regime, which bought the assets and business of the soon-to-be-liquidated club.

But the SPL probe could lead to Rangers being stripped of league titles, although there are more than a dozen other potential sanctions.